This is a very interesting draft in regards to the Quarterback class. This is because all of the prospects have a major flaw of sorts, but aside from that flaw they're all incredibly talented, with very high Ceilings. Honestly I think this draft class is very underrated, we may have been spoiled with the most recent drafts with more complete players who had the ability to start and star right away. Because in this class there is a massive amount of players who will be able to start and be franchise QB's. A key for players in this draft will be the Coaching staff they are placed with and the schemes that they will be put in. Coachs are going to have to change schemes to the QB like the 49ers did with Keapernick, or draft a QB that already fits in there offensive scheme. For example Mike Glennon would be a perfect with the Cardinals and Bruce Arians offence. He likes tall, strong armed, Qb's and is brilliant when it comes to raising up Qb's like , Luck, Roethlisberger. I would go as far to say Glennon would play up to a first round billing if he is brought onto this team. Obviously he fits better in the second round, and there is a good chance they can get him there but still.
The point of this is to show, or atleast argue that these Qb's are very talented and when put in the right situation, will flourish. So instead of looking to much at the flaws, they should look at the strengths and then pull them out. Ryan Nassib would be great if put in a situation like Andy Dalton was, because these two Qb's are incredibly similar. If put in the right situation Nassib could even be better just because he has better physical tools. E.J. Manuel needs to be put in an offence that focuses on intermediate routes, and put less emphasis on Deeps balls and short routes. Matt Barkley will need a team with a great O-line and a pure west coast offense because he is not very talented physically, but is smart so the team who takes him will have to focus on that. Geno Smith has less flaws but his footwork is shady and at WVU really just "rocked" back in the pocket. So he either need a staff that will pay ample attention to that or utilize an offence that doesn't require polished footwork, really he would fit is a lot of offences without much of a problem.
Now that's not to say there are some Qb's that are just not cut out for NFL in this draft and are overly hyped. Qb's such as Dysert, or Klien. Dysert who is just inaccurate and not that talented and Klien who just doesn't have the physical tool. Just a great College Qb, like Tebow, or Kellen Moore.
For the curious, I will toss in my Qb standings just for your viewing pleasure.
1. Geno Smith WVU
2. E.J. Manuel
3. Ryan Nassib
4. Mike Glennon
5. Tyler Bray
6. Matt Scott
7. Tyler Wilson
8. Matt Barkley
9. "Lance" Jones
10. Brad Sorensen
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Week 12 - Evaluating The Barnstormers
The Barnstormers continue a terrible skid to 4-7. More of the same troubles this week.
Offense: B-
Yes, the Barnstormers managed to keep pace. It was not enough. Spokane's defense has been hot, and coming out in the first quarter with misfires and giving up quick pressure, as well as immediately losing one of the brand new offensive lineman, just was not a good showing. J.J. Raterink also gave the home crowd a scare, going out for a play after last week's injury after using his hurt shoulder to attempt to mow down a defender. Not a great decision. Chris Dieker managed to momentarily redeem himself for last week, however, coming out and slinging a TD pass while the training staff looked over Raterink.
Defense: C-
This defense needs to stop the pass, and they need to do it now. The scheme isn't working, the players are getting outrun, outmanned, and outsmarted. If you want to have a shot at winning in the AFL, you have to man up and stop the pass.
Special Teams: B-
Nothing doing on onside kicks, and a missed PAT definitely didn't help.
What's Next:
The Barnstormers (4-7) host the Gladiators for their NFL network home game.
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Spokane Shock @ Iowa Barnstormers Preview
You'll notice I didn't grade the Barnstormers for last week's dismantling.
Well, it may be childish of me...
But I've decided not to speak of it.
So let's just move onto Spokane.
OFFENSE
Spokane:
Spokane has been getting the job done since the addition of Kyle Rowley at the QB position. Adron Tennell has been in beast mode lately, picking up 5 TDs last week.
Quick trivia - who's the most efficient passer at the halfway mark of the AFL season? Answer, J.J. Raterink, QBing a 4-6 team. Next question - will he take the field on Friday? Better yet, will the team give him any help? The Barnstormers have brought in an entirely new set of guards on the O-line that are expected to "make an immediate impact." Well, let's hope so.
ADVANTAGE - Spokane
Spokane:
Terrence Sanders was absolutely unstoppable against the Soul last week, and the week before brought back 2 TDs on special teams. He's definitely in a huge rhythm both on defense and special teams, and that's just not good for the Barnstormers.
Terrence Sanders was absolutely unstoppable against the Soul last week, and the week before brought back 2 TDs on special teams. He's definitely in a huge rhythm both on defense and special teams, and that's just not good for the Barnstormers.
Things just aren't getting any better.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Spokane:
Remember that part about Terrence Sanders bringing back 2 TDs two weeks ago? It can happen.
Iowa:3 Touchdowns, 19 points.
OVERALL
The Barnstormers have little momentum - back to where we were. Spokane, however, is hot and looking for revenge. Iowa knocked out Spokane's starting QB Eric Meyer to begin the season, and now are going into this game uncertain as to the status of J.J. Raterink. All in all, this doesn't look to be a good week for the Barnstormers.
ADVANTAGE - Spokane
Follow @ShardNet
Arena Football Week 12 Power Rankings
Seriously, the game on Saturday put me off the AFL until just now. Crazy.
1. Arizona Rattlers (7-3)
I'm giving the Rattlers the number 1 spot back, I really think they have the strongest roster in the AFL, and their record is starting to reflect that again.
2. San Jose SaberCats (7-3)
San Jose dropped one, and it wasn't in an impressive fashion.
3. San Antonio Talons (7-3)
San Antonio, welcome back. It was hard to believe a Garcia-lead team took this long to get to the top 3.
4. Philadelphia Soul (7-3)
Philly is starting to lose games it should be winning. Bad news for Philly fans.
5. Utah Blaze (6-4)
Utah is on a two game losing streak. Ouch.
6. Chicago Rush (6-4)
Chicago drops out of the top 5 on a bye week.
7. Cleveland Gladiators (6-3)
This week is a huge game for Cleveland. If they sweep Philly, things will be looking very good.
8. Georgia Force (6-4)
Georgia is cruising through the creampuff part of their schedule.
9. Spokane Shock (5-4)
This team is HOT.
10. Tampa Bay Storm (5-5)
This team needs wins, and 10+ point losses aren't elping.
11. Jacksonville Sharks (4-5)
Hello, Jacksonville. Welcome back to the AFL.
12. New Orleans VooDoo (4-5)
Watch out, guys. The New Orleans VooDoo can barely stave off the preds.
13. Iowa Barnstormers (4-6)
There are no words.
14. Milwaukee Mustangs (3-6)
Hard to believe this team beat the Soul.
15. Pittsburgh Power (2-8)
A loss to the Command, and Arizona on the schedule? Eep.
16. Kansas City Command (1-8)
KC breathes a sigh of relief.
17. Orlando Predators (1-8)
Welcome to Orlando, the land of the almost.
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Iowa Barnstormers @ Jacksonville Sharks Preview
Iowa, thankfully, finally has the opportunity to create a winning streak in Jacksonville and climb back to .500. Let's take a look.
OFFENSE
Jacksonville:
The Sharks have weapons, but have been plagued by a revolving door at the QB position. Chris Leak, Omar Jacobs, Bernard Morris, and now ex-Preds QB Collin Drafts has been added to the roster.
Quick trivia - who's the most efficient passer at the halfway mark of the AFL season? Answer, J.J. Raterink, QBing a 4-5 team. Jesse Schmidt and Marco Thomas have been getting quite a bit of action, but the offense still is easily capable of confusing and terrible drives, as was demonstrated by a few penalty plagued drives and a terrible INT against the Command.
ADVANTAGE - Iowa
DEFENSE
Jacksonville:
Another high ranked defensive matchup for the Barnstormers this week. The Sharks are sitting at 6th in overall defense. However, turnovers haven't come quite as easily for them, with only 9 takeaways on the year.
Iowa:This team has certainly been capable of forcing turnovers, with 24 total turnovers on the year. Of course, the D has also allowed 57 pass TDs, which is the 2nd worst in the league. The defense would do well to keep the Sharks off the board early in the game to build a lead.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jacksonville:
Terrence Smith can certainly make big plays, with 3 return TDs on the year. The kicking team has been decent on PATs, but they've had issues covering onside kicks.
Jason Simpson continues to have a nice push for Iowa on kick returns. Big plays from the special teams will make a huge impact for this team.
OVERALL
The Barnstormers have a little momentum, finally. Now is not the time to give it up. A huge game this week against a Sharks team that has been very up and down. The Barnstormers have been great on the road this year, and that trend should continue this week.
ADVANTAGE - Iowa
Follow @ShardNet
Friday, May 18, 2012
Arena Football - Week 11 Power Rankings
We've officially reached the midpoint of the season, and last week didn't bring about much movement. Without further ado, your midseason power rankings!
1. San Jose SaberCats (7-2)
The SaberCats put the Blaze away to the discredit of any questionable rankings.
2. Philadelphia Soul (7-2)
Philly hangs onto their spot, but only after an early wake up call from the scrappy Sharks.
3. Chicago Rush (6-3)
Chicago dropped one to Arizona this week, but they hang on to their spot by virtue of just plain being better than they looked this week. The story will be different when Michna returns.
4. Utah Blaze (6-3)
Utah hung in there, and ended with a very low-shame loss to the SaberCats.
5. Arizona Rattlers (6-3)
Arizona didn't gain or lose any ground, but putting away Chicago at home had to feel good.
6. San Antonio Talons (6-3)
The Power hung around an awful long time against this team..
7. Cleveland Gladiators (5-3)
Cleveland put one up on Philly earlier this year. If they want to keep advancing, they need to keep making those big wins. Their playoff prospects will feel a lot better if they can top Tampa this week.
8. Georgia Force (5-4)
Georgia has to feel good about picking up a win while RJ Archer is in minicamp with the Detroit Lions.
9. Tampa Bay Storm (5-4)
Tampa Bay needs to perform when they get opportunities. A team with a sudden QB change should be one of those opportunities.
10. Iowa Barnstormers (4-5)
Did they win at home? Yes. Is a win against the Command going to get you into the playoffs? Not by itself.
11. Milwaukee Mustangs (3-5)
Hot cold is the name of the game. If it wasn't for the win against Philadelphia last week, I would still continue to scream creampuff wins. If this team can win any more big games is to be determined.
12. Spokane Shock (4-4)
Overtime against New Orleans is a big boost for a team that is in a rough division.
13. New Orleans VooDoo (3-5)
A far cry from sitting on top of their division a few weeks ago.
14. Jacksonville Sharks (3-5)
The Sharks kept things interesting in the first half, but nobody really expected them to hang around against the Soul.
15. Pittsburgh Power (2-7)
A missed opportunity this week. Sounds an awful lot like their whole season. 10 weeks in, and the only team the Power have topped are the Predators.
16. Orlando Predators (1-7)
If any team needed a break from getting spanked, it was this one.
17. Kansas City Command (0-8)
Another rough offensive showing, this time against the worst pass defense in the league. Ouch. Things are looking awfully bleak for the Command.
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
1. San Jose SaberCats (7-2)
The SaberCats put the Blaze away to the discredit of any questionable rankings.
2. Philadelphia Soul (7-2)
Philly hangs onto their spot, but only after an early wake up call from the scrappy Sharks.
3. Chicago Rush (6-3)
Chicago dropped one to Arizona this week, but they hang on to their spot by virtue of just plain being better than they looked this week. The story will be different when Michna returns.
4. Utah Blaze (6-3)
Utah hung in there, and ended with a very low-shame loss to the SaberCats.
5. Arizona Rattlers (6-3)
Arizona didn't gain or lose any ground, but putting away Chicago at home had to feel good.
6. San Antonio Talons (6-3)
The Power hung around an awful long time against this team..
7. Cleveland Gladiators (5-3)
Cleveland put one up on Philly earlier this year. If they want to keep advancing, they need to keep making those big wins. Their playoff prospects will feel a lot better if they can top Tampa this week.
8. Georgia Force (5-4)
Georgia has to feel good about picking up a win while RJ Archer is in minicamp with the Detroit Lions.
9. Tampa Bay Storm (5-4)
Tampa Bay needs to perform when they get opportunities. A team with a sudden QB change should be one of those opportunities.
10. Iowa Barnstormers (4-5)
Did they win at home? Yes. Is a win against the Command going to get you into the playoffs? Not by itself.
11. Milwaukee Mustangs (3-5)
Hot cold is the name of the game. If it wasn't for the win against Philadelphia last week, I would still continue to scream creampuff wins. If this team can win any more big games is to be determined.
12. Spokane Shock (4-4)
Overtime against New Orleans is a big boost for a team that is in a rough division.
13. New Orleans VooDoo (3-5)
A far cry from sitting on top of their division a few weeks ago.
14. Jacksonville Sharks (3-5)
The Sharks kept things interesting in the first half, but nobody really expected them to hang around against the Soul.
15. Pittsburgh Power (2-7)
A missed opportunity this week. Sounds an awful lot like their whole season. 10 weeks in, and the only team the Power have topped are the Predators.
16. Orlando Predators (1-7)
If any team needed a break from getting spanked, it was this one.
17. Kansas City Command (0-8)
Another rough offensive showing, this time against the worst pass defense in the league. Ouch. Things are looking awfully bleak for the Command.
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
Monday, May 14, 2012
Happy Hump Week: Midseason Playoff Picture
10 weeks, 9 games, and a 4-5 record are the story so far for the 2012 Iowa Barnstormers. The team sits at 3rd in the National Central division, and 2 games behind the Talons and Rush, who are tied for the division lead. So far, the Barnstormers 5 losses have come to top 5 teams, losing to Utah twice, Chicago twice, and San Jose.
The Barnstormers still have to face San Antonio twice, as well as the Rattlers and San Jose again (both away). They also get to play the Command, Sharks, Power, Shock, and a potentially winnable game against Cleveland. Assuming the trend of dropping games against rough teams and winning winnable games continues, the Barnstormers could be looking at anywhere from 9-9 to 12-6. Historically, that's a decent shot at the playoffs.
On the other hand, the National Conference is absolutely stacked. Both divisions have 3 teams that are realistically potential competitors for the division title, which will inevitably leave 2 teams out on the curb come playoff time.
What does this tell us? Nothing we didn't know at the beginning of the season. The Barnstormers absolutely need to win big games in the second half of the season, and if they want to make the playoffs, have to stay focused in the games that are easily winnable.
If the playoffs started today:
American East - Philadelphia Soul
American South - Georgia Force
National Central - Chicago Rush
National West - San Jose SaberCats
American Wildcards - Cleveland Gladiators, Tampa Bay Storm
National Wildcards - Arizona Rattlers, Utah Blaze
And just for fun, a prediction bracket for how I think that playoff would go.
Round 1: (it's interesting how many games in this round 1 were actually played this week)
Philadelphia Soul (X)
Cleveland Gladiators
Georgia Force
Tampa Bay Storm (X)
San Jose SaberCats (X)
Utah Blaze
Chicago Rush
Arizona Rattlers (X)
Round 2:
Philadelphia Soul (X)
Tampa Bay Storm
San Jose SaberCats
Arizona Rattlers (X)
ArenaBowl:
Philadelphia Soul
Arizona Rattlers (X)
Lots of football left to be played, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Let the playoff push begin!
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
The Barnstormers still have to face San Antonio twice, as well as the Rattlers and San Jose again (both away). They also get to play the Command, Sharks, Power, Shock, and a potentially winnable game against Cleveland. Assuming the trend of dropping games against rough teams and winning winnable games continues, the Barnstormers could be looking at anywhere from 9-9 to 12-6. Historically, that's a decent shot at the playoffs.
On the other hand, the National Conference is absolutely stacked. Both divisions have 3 teams that are realistically potential competitors for the division title, which will inevitably leave 2 teams out on the curb come playoff time.
What does this tell us? Nothing we didn't know at the beginning of the season. The Barnstormers absolutely need to win big games in the second half of the season, and if they want to make the playoffs, have to stay focused in the games that are easily winnable.
If the playoffs started today:
American East - Philadelphia Soul
American South - Georgia Force
National Central - Chicago Rush
National West - San Jose SaberCats
American Wildcards - Cleveland Gladiators, Tampa Bay Storm
National Wildcards - Arizona Rattlers, Utah Blaze
And just for fun, a prediction bracket for how I think that playoff would go.
Round 1: (it's interesting how many games in this round 1 were actually played this week)
Philadelphia Soul (X)
Cleveland Gladiators
Georgia Force
Tampa Bay Storm (X)
San Jose SaberCats (X)
Utah Blaze
Chicago Rush
Arizona Rattlers (X)
Round 2:
Philadelphia Soul (X)
Tampa Bay Storm
San Jose SaberCats
Arizona Rattlers (X)
ArenaBowl:
Philadelphia Soul
Arizona Rattlers (X)
Lots of football left to be played, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Let the playoff push begin!
-Shard
Follow @ShardNet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)